


Work and Play

by Scriberat



Series: Month of Mei 2020 [2]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23979211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scriberat/pseuds/Scriberat
Summary: Spartos and Koumei strike a deal and forge a friendship!
Relationships: Spartos Leoxses & Ren Koumei
Series: Month of Mei 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727365
Kudos: 7





	Work and Play

**Author's Note:**

> major thanks to aum for roleplaying spar with mei~

"I suppose my greatest concern is that, should the peace ever falter, this will put Sasan at great risk," Spartos said. "Since I have taken over as Knight King, it's my duty to protect my citizens."

Between him and his guest was a scroll marked with  _ Transfer Circle _ . Koumei looked at him and nodded.

"I understand completely. Even in this new and seemingly strange landscape, we have to take precautions. If I may, the road in is easily defended and not easily attacked from. We could build a proper depot out there for the transfer circles, alongside your dirigible tower."

"I see." He nodded. "That would be acceptable, especially given the expanded... you call it a system?"

"Yes, internally known as the Transfer System. I'll need to leave a few of my employees on your side to train some of your own to know how to operate things."

"Is it so difficult?"

"We have done tests to have multiple objects move to one circle, and they invariably end up spliced together."

"Oh." Spartos steepled his fingers, then sipped the tea before him that was getting cold. "It seems you have this well in hand. We simply need to make room for it, correct?"

"Yes. And you can have a locked circle for the palace that's only accessible to those with the key," Koumei added.

"A key?" Spartos asked. Koumei held up a jade pendant inscribed with a magic circle and the name  _ Forbidden City _ .

"This pendant contains the unlocking half of a locking command on the circles. With it in hand, one is able to travel to forbidden places. This one is specific to the Forbidden City."

"Much like the gold passes provided allow passage to any city or town in any country," Spartos mused. Koumei nodded.

"You're a sharp man. I'm glad. Going in circles with these explanations has been tiring," Koumei said. Spartos laughed.

"You give me too much credit."

"Not at all. I really do mean what I say," Koumei said.

"You're a different man from what I thought you would be," Spartos said. Koumei scratched his head and laughed.

"Is that so? Is the lack of war strange?"

"Something like that. It's more that I always assumed you were all happily violent against the world," Spartos said.

"I see. I had often wondered what our reputation was," Koumei said. He poured them both some tea and enjoyed the aroma before sipping.

"You couldn't have suspected it to be anything less?"

"I did not, but I had no real confirmation."

Spartos nodded. Koumei didn't move on any assumptions, instead working off of possibilities. He narrowed his eyes. How many had he run through for this proposal.

"I'll be glad to have that done. You're free for dinner?"

"I am," Koumei said.

"Good. Why don't we meet then and talk more?"

That night, Koumei went to Spartos in a private dining room. With the two of them in the room along with the servants, Koumei recognized how vulnerable he was. Years of being in a war-torn nation had formed him, and those habits wouldn't be dying out soon.

"Thank you for the invitation, King Spartos," Koumei said.

"I'm glad you came. Please, sit and eat. Are you enjoying Sasan?" he asked. Koumei nodded.

"The air is cool, the night sky is clear, and while the people are sometimes lively, overall it's a quiet place. It's a perfect home," Koumei said.

"It's just missing green," Spartos said.

"Indeed it is. But I'm sure you can create gardens."

"We have several. That doesn't change the lack of forest." The two of them laughed.

"You should come to Kou. I'm sure we could give you some peach seeds to create a forest."

"And where would you get the peach seeds?"

"Would you mind them coming from Judar's dinner?" Both of them laughed again. Spartos divvied the dinner between them, making sure Koumei got the fish.

"I've heard you enjoy the taste of fish more than that of meat."

"I do. I'm surprised that was information you thought to get," Koumei said.

"I can hardly feed you poorly while you're here," Spartos replied. Koumei sliced into the fish carefully, eating it with a delicate hand. Spartos watched as he did, chuckling at the movements.

"Between your movements and your hair, you seem more like a woman than a man," he commented. "I mean nothing bad by that. It's funny."

"Is that so? I had wondered about the hair earlier. I was raised not to be brutish in behavior."

"As was I." 

The two of them ate comfortably for a time, observing the other without speaking much, themselves.

"It is interesting that you returned without your brothers," Spartos finally said.

"I didn't return, either. It would have broken the law of our exile," Koumei said, smirking conspiratorially. That got a laugh from the other man.

"How interesting," Spartos said. "Should I ever become exiled, I shall keep that in mind."

"It was an interesting gambit, to say the least."

"Who came up with it?"

"Alibaba."

"That makes sense. He's got a sharp mind and almost seems to enjoy solving problems in the strangest ways." They both ate some food.

"What of you?" Koumei asked. "Where do you fall in solving problems?"

"I fear saying how I feel would sound like bragging, but I'm good enough."

"That much is apparent. Sasan is stable in all ways," Koumei commented. Spartos nodded.

"Have you ever considered attempting to seize the throne?" Spartos asked.

"Never. It's in the hands of my family. I only need to assist them," Koumei said. "I trust each of them implicitly."

"That's good to know," Spartos said, nodding. He looked at the face of the man whom he had before underestimated and then feared. "You care deeply for your family?"

"More than anything else. If I had them, I could be cut from my country again," Koumei said. He drank from his cup. Spartos nodded.

"As do I."

"What family do you have? I'm aware of your father, but anyone beyond that, I'm unsure of."

"I had an older brother, but he died many years ago," Spartos said. "His name was Mystras."

"Tell me more? I'll exchange for stories of my own family," Koumei offered. And so Spartos told him about Mystras, of the letters he sent home about his travels, of the trouble they got into as children. Koumei laughed and talked about how he met Kougyoku and his cousins, confessing to being the troublesome sibling.

They exchanges stories into the night, well after their dinner was finished.

"This was a nice evening," Spartos said, yawning. Koumei hid his own yawn and nodded.

"It was, indeed. I shall take my leave. Rest well, King Spartos."

"We've moved past formality, I think. Spartos is fine."

"Koumei, then," Koumei said, smiling. It was nice to be able to make friends with these people now that Sinbad was out of the way. The two of them parted for the night, heading to their own rooms, neither having expected to talk of such things but glad to have done so all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> awwwwwww


End file.
